What If
by The Lilac Elf of Lothlorien
Summary: Dumbledore figured that there might be challenges when Harry Potter came to Hogwarts. But he never expected that Harry's challenges could help another student overcome their own upbringing.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTES: While I'm waiting on my muse to get up off its lazy ass and help with new chapters for my ongoing stories, I'm going to be working on some rewrites including 'Dei Ex Machina' and this story which is actually a rewrite of the story 'Broken Dreams Can Still Fly' which I honestly wasn't sure what to do with.

CHAPTER SUMMARY: A paralyzed Harry Potter comes to Hogwarts and Dumbledore decides to use Harry to help break Draco Malfoy away from his family.

* * *

HARRY POTTER: What If…?

* * *

6-year-old Harry Potter wished the drive home from the zoo would last for the rest of the day… or at least until Uncle Vernon calmed down after what happened in the big cats exhibit. After all, it hadn't been Harry's fault that the male lion had roared right next to the glass as Dudley walked by… Or the fact that the jaguar has tried to attack the glass when Dudley had been making faces at the animal…

But Harry knew his uncle would never believe him. No one ever believed Harry when he said that he wasn't to blame for the strange things that kept happening around him.

The rest of the time at the zoo was quiet, but Vernon kept a close eye on Harry as the Dursleys and Harry continued the outing.

And while Harry wished he could believe that his uncle had forgotten what had happened, he knew that his uncle being quiet just meant that the worst was yet to come.

Uncle Vernon never did or said anything in public or in the car…

But at Home…

Harry knew he was in for it as soon as he got into #4 Privet Drive but what he didn't know was what exactly would happen to him… Would his uncle starve him? Beat him until he fell unconscious? Or would it be something far worse this time?

Maybe Harry would be lucky and Vernon would just scream.

Huddled on his side of the back seat, his back to the door, trying to make himself as small as possible, Harry didn't see the car speeding towards them on an intercept; he only felt the car as it slammed into his side of the Dursleys' vehicle.

* * *

It had been fortunate that Petunia Dursley had been driving the car. That evening As such, she'd only suffered a broken arm and some bumps and bruises.

Vernon hadn't been so lucky. The impact had killed him instantly.

Lying in her bed at the hospital, Petunia started to think about what had happened when the doctor taking care of Harry and Dudley walked up. "Mrs. Dursley?"

Petunia sat up as best she could, her mind playing every scenario she could think of. "How's Dudley? And… and my nephew? Harry?"

Dr. Eric Kessler—an older doctor with salt and pepper hair and gray eyes—replied, "Your son, Dudley, had severe head trauma. There was swelling and while we're trying to reduce it, that doesn't help the actual damage to the brain."

Petunia's jaw dropped. "What… What kind of… damage?"

"There was severe damage to Dudley's occipital lobe. He can't see," Dr. Kessler replied. "With this type of blindness, it's questionable whether your son will regain his sight."

Petunia nodded as she tried not to cry. Her little boy was blind? What about school? How was Dudley supposed to have a normal life if he couldn't see?

"Your nephew's condition… is much worse, I'm afraid," Kessler went on after giving Petunia a moment.

Petunia hadn't even really put a lot of thought into Harry. It wasn't that she hated the boy—at least, she didn't hate him like Vernon did. And in fact, a small part of Petunia wished she and Harry were closer since he was essentially all she had left of her sister, Lily. Hearing that Harry was even worse off than Dudley, Petunia wasn't sure what to say. "How much worse?" She finally asked, showing real concern for her sister's son for the first time that she could remember.

"Harry suffered devastating damage to his spinal cord. It's a miracle he wasn't killed as well," Kessler added. "The only good news is that Harry's spine wasn't completely severed. But there's a lot of swelling. And right now Harry is paralyzed from the neck down."

Petunia felt like she was going to be sick. "Is… Is he… Is the… paralysis permanent?" All those years she'd abused the poor boy—shouting at him, treating him like little more than a servant… Was this somehow Karma coming back? Because of how badly she'd treated Lily's son, now her own son would suffer and Harry would…?

Kessler shrugged in response to the woman's question. "I can't say. Harry could regain the use of his body… Anything can happen…"

Petunia frowned as she sensed that the doctor was dodging the question. "But…?"

"It _is possible_ that Harry can recover," Kessler said, honestly. "However… the odds are extremely low. At best… Harry would regain _some_ use of his upper body. Most likely, Harry will need assistance for the rest of his life."

Lying back, Petunia let out a long sigh. She loved Dudley more than anything… And she wanted to have a better relationship with her nephew. But she wasn't ready to deal with all this—one child who might never see again and another who would, in all likeliness, never regain the full use of his body.

"I know this is a lot to take in," Kessler said, gently, seeing that Petunia was having a hard time wrapping her head around what had happened to her family. "There are programs and centers to help you take care of Dudley and Harry. And there's a support group run by the hospital for parents of disabled children. You're not alone in this."

Petunia nodded. Sure, there was help to be had… but that didn't change the fact that her life… or Dudley's… or Harry's… would ever be what it should have been…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_10 Months Later_

Petunia tentatively entered the hospital room that Harry had been in for close to a year. Dudley was working with a tutor on Braille and learning how to live without his sight, but Harry was still in his bed, trapped in the back and neck brace that prevented any movement. The poor boy didn't deserve this. _He_ should have been the one to walk away unharmed, Petunia thought. Not her.

"Harry," Petunia said, gently, as she sat on the bed. The doctors had had to trach Harry, putting a tube directly into his trachea to help him breathe and Petunia's eyes followed the tube to the ventilator that was acting as Harry's lungs. Once Harry finally looked at her, Petunia said, "You're going home tomorrow."

Harry didn't reply as he looked away. But after a few minutes, he asked, "Where's… Dudley?"

"He's working with a tutor," Petunia replied, succinctly. When Harry didn't say anything else, Petunia put a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek before standing and leaving the room.

"Mrs. Dursley," Dr. Kessler said as he saw her coming out of the room. "How's Harry today?"

"Still not talking to me, really," Petunia replied.

"The nurses showed you how to care for Harry once he's at home?" Kessler asked, looking over at Harry.

Petunia nodded, thinking of the stack of pamphlets, and guides amassed at the new one-story house she'd bought with the life insurance from Vernon's death and the proceeds from the sale of the house on Privet Drive. "Is there any improvement in Harry's condition?" she asked, hopefully.

"None," Kessler replied, shaking his head. "Mrs. Dursley, I know you want to take Harry home, but… I need you to understand that between Harry and Dudley, you're not going to have a lot of down time. Dudley will need plenty of assistance for a while—until he gets used to getting around the house. And Harry will likely never regain any use of his body. There are centers… places where Harry can receive the care he needs and you can focus on your son."

"I am not going to just abandon Harry," Petunia insisted. "I know it'll be hard, but… But I'm not going to do that to him."

Kessler pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Petunia. "This is the number of a home nursing care service that's covered by our hospital. I've already called and your insurance will cover everything. They'll help you get settled at home and take care of Harry and Dudley if you get a job."

Petunia pocketed the card. "Thank you, I appreciate that. And don't worry. We'll be fine."

xxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Petunia came into Harry's room just as the nurses finished helping Harry go to the bathroom and getting him dressed. Harry's neck and back were still braced and Petunia tried to be careful as she lifted Harry from the bed and got him settled into the motorized wheelchair. The tube coming from Harry's neck was connected to a portable ventilator and one of the nurses showed Petunia how to check the power levels and the tubes.

As Petunia pushed him towards the exit, Harry kept replaying when he'd first heard about what had happened to him. His aunt looking at him, tears in her eyes as she told him he was paralyzed. He'd never be able to walk… or even move. He'd be completely helpless for the rest of his life.

He couldn't move… couldn't feed himself… He'd never be able to go to the bathroom on his own. He'd never even be able to breathe on his own. He was trapped in his own body.

* * *

_4 Years Later_

It was ironic that Petunia's second husband's name was Evans. Thomas Evans, to be precise. They had met in a support group and had gone out for coffee afterwards. Thomas's daughter, Veronica was 12 and had been born with a severely deformed left arm. When she was 8, she'd gotten an infection which had necessitated an emergency amputation. But the young girl was always happy and laughing and once she'd met Dudley, the two had gotten along wonderfully.

Even Harry liked Veronica and Thomas which was surprising to Petunia since Harry had basically stopped liking anyone—except Dudley and Petunia—after the accident 5 years ago. But one evening, about two years later, while Petunia attached Harry's nutritional IV to the permanent IV port in his left arm, Harry had asked, "When… are you… and Thomas… going to… get… married?"

After the accident, Dudley had often become frustrated by his blindness, but when Harry was around he was almost always able to calm his cousin down. The two had become even closer over the years and Dudley often tried to help his mother take care of Harry.

Setting the table for dinner one warm summer evening, Petunia's thoughts turned to Harry.

Because Harry had been paralyzed from the neck down, he couldn't breathe on his own and therefore, the doctors had had to put a tube directly into Harry's trachea which was then attached to a respirator. It had taken Harry a few months to learn how to talk with the respirator and when Petunia had told him that he couldn't move his body, Harry had tried to apologize as if the accident had been his fault. It had taken Petunia more than a year to get Harry to stop blaming himself and feeling like he deserved to be paralyzed.

"Dinner smells... good," Harry said as he came into the room just as his aunt went to the cabinet to get glasses. In the past year, Harry had started to get some use of his arms back but unfortunately that was as far as his recovery had progressed thus far. "Wish I could… have some…"

Petunia had been happy that Harry could now move around on his own in the new motorized wheelchair but since his lungs were still affected by the paralysis, he was still dependant on the respirator. "Its eggplant parmesan," Petunia replied, as she grabbed Harry's nutra-smoothie. While Harry was now able to process liquids, his system was still unable to deal with solid foods.

"It smells wonderful in here, Petunia," Thomas said as he came into the dining room with Dudley and Veronica.

"Oh," he added, handing over the evening mail. "I grabbed this earlier."

Petunia wiped her hands on her apron before taking the stack of bills, letters and magazines. Rifling through, she stopped when she saw a parchment letter addressed to Harry. Setting the rest of the mail aside, she opened the envelope and read the enclosed letter, her heart beating faster as she reread the letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She knew it would be coming eventually but a small part of her had been praying that Harry wouldn't receive his Hogwarts letter since the poor boy already had enough to deal with.

"Petunia?" Thomas asked, watching his wife's expression.

"Later," she said, putting the letter away before glancing ever so briefly at Harry.

Thomas just nodded in understanding as they all sat down to dinner after Petunia finished helping Harry with his smoothie. Before Thomas had married Petunia, she'd told him about the magical world her sister had come from—a world that she wasn't sure if Harry would belong to. Seeing Petunia's look as she'd read the letter, he figured it had to be from the magical school Petunia's sister, Lily Potter, had attended.

xx

After dinner, while Veronica, Dudley, and Harry went into the living room to watch TV, Thomas went to the kitchen sink to help Petunia with the dishes while they talked about Harry. Thomas agreed that things would be extraordinarily difficult for Harry if he went to Hogwarts, especially considering that Harry was still in a back and neck brace due to the fact that the orthopedic surgeon that had operated on him had noticed a minor curvature of Harry's spine during the last physical exam a few weeks ago.

But on the other side, Thomas added, what was the alternative? Harry was a wizard and he would eventually have to learn how to control his magic.

Petunia sighed deeply. "I know," she said, quietly as she finished washing the dinner dishes. Looking over to Harry, she wished things were different. But the fact of the matter was that there was nothing that could be done about Harry's situation. "But would the professors at the school even know how to take care of Harry?"

"Maybe that's what you need to do first," Thomas suggested, towel-drying the last of the dishes. "Write back to Hogwarts' headmaster and make sure he knows what the situation is."

"I suppose you're right," Petunia replied after thinking a moment on how exactly she was supposed to get a message to Albus Dumbledore in the first place.

* * *

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Albus Dumbledore was spending a late night in his office in Hogwarts checking response letters against the list of new students.

Typically, Dumbledore's Deputy headmistress, Minerva McGonagall went through the letters, but she was currently away in Scotland visiting family.

Looking through the names, Dumbledore smiled to himself as he saw the name 'Ronald Weasley' on one the letters. The Weasleys were one of the finest wizarding families he knew even though they weren't very financially endowed. But anyone who spent time with them could see that what they lacked in money they made up for in love and family ties.

Further down the list, Dumbledore paused to reflect on another name: Neville Longbottom, Frank and Alice Longbottom's only child. As Dumbledore thought of the two fallen members of the Order of the Phoenix, he wondered if their son would live up to his full potential.

After a while, Dumbledore looked at another letter from Lucius Malfoy's son, Draco. The Malfoys were one of the wealthiest wizarding families and had also been part of Voldemort's inner circle. As he thought about Draco Malfoy, Dumbledore was certain of two things. The first was that Draco was sure to have his father's prejudices as soon as he stepped foot in Hogwarts.

The second was that Dumbledore deeply wanted to help the boy to become someone other than a clone of his father.

An hour later, Dumbledore was stopped by yet another letter. But unlike the others which were written by the soon-to-be students, this one was clearly written by an adult. Opening the letter, Dumbledore was even more surprised to find that the letter was written by Petunia Evans, Harry Potter's aunt.

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_I wanted to inform you that my nephew, Harry Potter, did indeed receive his letter from Hogwarts. However, there is a situation regarding Harry's attending you school that needs to be addressed first. As soon as possible, if you could visit at the address on the back of this letter._

_Thank you,_

_Petunia Evans_

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, thinking for a moment about what kind of situation Petunia could be referring to. She seemed to indicate that whatever the problem was could prevent Harry coming to Hogwarts.

Pulling a fresh sheet of parchment with the Hogwarts crest towards him, Dumbledore selected his favorite quill and dipped it into the jar of ink on his desk before drafting a response to Petunia's letter.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Two days before Harry's 11th birthday, Dumbledore stood in front of 4598 Dippett Ave., studying the address with interest. The lawn was perfectly manicured and precise and in the driveway were two vehicles: an older SUV and a van with handicapped stickers on the rear bumper. Walking up to the front door, Dumbledore knocked and waited until a young girl opened the door. She was tall with short, blonde hair and was rather pretty, even though she was missing her left arm about 6 inches above the elbow. "I'm looking for Petunia Evans," Dumbledore said, kindly. "My name is Albus Dumbledore."

"Petunia told me you were coming," the girl said with a smile as she stepped aside to let Dumbledore in. "I'm her stepdaughter, Veronica."

"A pleasure to meet you," Dumbledore replied, shaking hands with the young girl.

"Petunia's in the kitchen," Veronica added, after she closed the front door. Pointing past the hallway, she gave the headmaster a smile before heading upstairs.

Dumbledore watched her go and headed down the hallway, stopping at a photograph caught his eye. Picking up the picture, he stared at the Evans family. Petunia and her new husband stood behind their three children: Veronica standing in the middle with her right arm around the shoulders of a boy with blank eyes and blonde hair and what remained of her left arm resting on the shoulder of a boy with messy black hair, green eyes, glasses, and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

But to Dumbledore's astonishment, he saw that Harry was in a wheelchair with some sort of tube protruding from his throat.

"Not the family you thought you were leaving Harry with, is it?" Dumbledore turned, still holding the photograph, to see Petunia coming out of the kitchen. Petunia took the picture from the Hogwarts headmaster and studied it. "This was taken just after Thomas and I got married. We didn't have much of a honeymoon. We just went away for two nights." Setting the picture down, she went on. "I had a home-care nurse come and help take care of Harry. Veronica and Dudley stayed with friends."

"What happened to Harry?" Dumbledore asked, looking at the picture again.

"Vernon, Dudley, Harry, and I were in a car crash," Petunia replied, leading Dumbledore into the kitchen and gesturing for him to have a seat at the table while she finished making tea. "Vernon was killed, I broke my arm, Dudley was blinded and Harry was paralyzed from the neck down."

Dumbledore stiffened, shocked not only by the news but at how calmly Petunia stated the facts. But it wasn't a calm of indifference, but rather Petunia sounded as though it was something she'd had a long time to get used to. When Petunia looked at him, the headmaster figured he should say something, but words failed him at the moment. After a long silence, he said, "This was the situation you referred to in your letter."

Petunia nodded as she poured herself and Dumbledore a cup of tea and she brought the tea tray over to the table and sat down before replying. "In the past year, Harry has regained the use of his arms. But he can't move his legs and he has no sensation below his shoulders. He uses the respirator because he can't breathe on his own."

Dumbledore sipped his tea and asked, "There's nothing more the muggle doctors can do for Harry?"

Petunia shook her head. "No." Giving Dumbledore a look, she asked, "Is there any way to use magic to heal Harry's injuries?"

Dumbledore thought about the question carefully, sipping his tea pensively. "It may be possible," he replied but when he saw the hope in Petunia's eyes, he held up a hand. "But I can offer no guarantees. I can make arrangements for later this afternoon, if you wish."

Petunia thought for a moment then looked at the clock on the wall. "Harry's in physical therapy right now. He should be back by 5."

Dumbledore nodded and stood up. "That should be sufficient. I'll come back then, if that's alright."

Petunia nodded and started a bit when Dumbledore suddenly vanished with a 'crack'. Leaning forward and burying her face in her hands, she thought about what Dumbledore had said. She hoped that something could be done for Harry but keeping in mind Dumbledore's warning, she knew she had to be realistic.

It had been 5 years since the accident and Harry had only recently been able to start using his arms again, a small thing, considering, but to Petunia and Harry it seemed like a triumph of sorts.

xx

When Harry and Tom came home, they were surprised by the tall, thin man standing in the sitting room with Petunia. After a moment, Tom realized who the man must be. "Professor Dumbledore?" He asked, holding out a hand. When the headmaster shook it, Tom added, "Pleasure to meet you, sir. I'm Tom Evans, Petunia's husband." Turning to Harry, he said, "This is Harry Potter."

The first thing Harry liked about Dumbledore was that he didn't look at him with pity. Dumbledore gave him a smile as he stepped forward, holding out a hand.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, kindly as he shook Harry's hand. Moving his gaze from Harry to Petunia, he went on. "The Rowena Medical Center will be expecting you and Harry at 9 tomorrow morning." Looking at Harry again, he added, "If there is anything that can be done to help your condition, I assure you, it will be done."

Harry didn't say anything for a moment but then he looked from Dumbledore to his aunt. "You mean… I could… get better? Maybe… I could…walk?"

Dumbledore hesitated before answering the question. The last thing he wanted to do was give Harry false hope. "We will do what we can," Dumbledore promised.

Understanding what Dumbledore meant, Harry just replied, "Thank you."

After saying 'good day' to Petunia and Tom, Dumbledore left the house.

Once the headmaster had left, Tom looked at his wife and step-nephew. "Well, shall I start dinner?"

"Thanks, Tom," Petunia replied, watching as Harry followed him into the kitchen and wondering how the young boy's life might change after tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, Petunia, Harry, and Veronica got in the van and headed to the address Dumbledore had given them while Tom and Dudley headed out to the park for the day.

Once at the hospital, Petunia instructed Veronica and Harry to wait while she spoke to a nurse at the front desk. Looking at Harry, Veronica adjusted the position of the prosthetic arm she wore as she asked, "If they can fix the injuries to your spinal cord, do you think they could… I don't know… regrow my arm or something?"

Harry was surprised at the question. In all the years he'd gotten to know Veronica, she'd never once complained about the loss of her arm. Thinking of what Petunia had told him about the magical world, Harry wondered if it might be possible to regrow lost limbs. "Maybe…" Harry rasped, thoughtfully. It was strange now that he thought about it. Everyone else was probably hoping that Harry could be completely fixed today. But deep down, Harry knew that even if he was able to move and feel his legs again it would probably be years before he was actually able to walk on his own again. By now he was almost used to not being able to move his body. All he really wanted was to be able to breathe on his own… to eat solid foods again…

Petunia came back over followed by a woman with curly red hair tied back and warm brown eyes the color of cinnamon. "Harry, this is the doc—er, healer who will be taking a look at you."

"Hi, Harry," the healer said, brightly, as she shook Harry's hand. "I'm Nicki Lawson. So let's go see what we can do for you."

"Ma'am?" Veronica said, looking at the healer. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Nicki replied, looking at Veronica. Seeing the young girl's prosthetic, Nicki nodded, knowingly. "Come on. Both of you."

Watching the two kids follow the healer down the hall, Petunia wished she'd accepted Tom's offer to come with her. Sitting down in the waiting room, she thought about her second husband—although truthfully it had been years since she'd thought of Tom like that. After Vernon's death, Petunia had been so wrapped up with taking care of Dudley and Harry. But once she met Tom and had seen how Harry had taken a liking to him and his daughter, Petunia had let Tom take her out on a date.

Tom had become a godsend and Veronica and Harry had become best friends. In fact, Petunia often thought of the girl as her own child, rather than a stepdaughter.

And if the doctors and healers here were able to help Harry _and_ Veronica, maybe Petunia and Tom would be able to start trying for a baby of their own.

xxx

In one of the exam rooms, one of the healers studied what was left of Veronica Evans' arm. "How long ago was the amputation?" Bryan Harding asked, looking at the healed scars.

"About 4 years ago," Veronica replied, shrugging. "I mean, I've learned to live with it, but… It'd be nice to have both arms again."

Bryan nodded and went over to a cabinet filled with potions bottles and withdrew two bottles. Going back over to Veronica, he handed her the bottles. "Just drink both of these and we can get started."

Veronica looked at the two bottles and then glanced at what was left of her arm. What did she have to lose? Opening the first bottle, she quickly downed the contents before drinking the second potion.

xxxxxx

Lying in a hospital bed in another room, the back and neck brace removed, Harry watched two healers as they waved their wands over him, while one of the muggle nurses—a woman named Samantha Brandt—hooked up an IV filled with some sort of cloudy, blue liquid.

Seeing that Harry was curious about what was going on, Nicki said, "The IV contains a potion to help stimulate nerves. We'll also use magic to try and repair some of the damage to your spinal cord."

Harry nodded slightly as the nurse hooked up the IV. At first there was no sound in the room except for the beeping of monitoring equipment and the soft hissing of Harry's ventilator.

As Nicki worked on healing the boy's spine, she wondered how it must have been for him all these years. Nicki was a muggleborn and had become a healer after her sister had been paralyzed following a mugging in London. Trish had been stabbed and the knife had severed her spinal cord. Like Harry, Trish had also been paralyzed from the neck down, but healers had been able to restore sensation and function to her upper body.

And with new magical techniques and the potions they were giving Harry, Nicki hoped that they could do even more for the Boy Who Lived. Seeing Harry look suddenly alarmed, she said, "Harry, what's wrong?"

"My chest… feels… funny…" Harry rasped. "Feels… tight…" Suddenly, he gasped loudly and his lungs felt like they were going to burst. He heard the alarms go off on the monitors and wondered just what the bloody hell was happening.

"It's alright, Harry," Samantha assured Harry who was starting to panic. Quickly, she disconnected the respirator tube from main tracheostomy tube. Putting a hand on Harry's shoulder, she said, "Deep breaths, Harry. Deep breaths."

After a few moments, Harry was finally able to take one deep breath and then another. Feeling the tightness in his chest start to relax, he noticed that he was no longer connected to the ventilator. He tried to speak, but no sound came out.

Samantha carefully helped Harry sit up in the bed and after a moment, she said, "Yes, we took you off the ventilator. You're breathing on your own now. How do you feel?" When Harry signaled that he couldn't speak, she covered the open end of the trach tube and said, "Try it now."

"Hungry." Harry whispered, faintly, as he felt his stomach grumble loudly.

"We'll get you something to eat in a bit," Samantha promised, withdrawing a pen from her pocket while Nicki removed Harry's socks and shoes. Running the end of the pen along the bottom of Harry's foot, she asked, "Can you feel that?"

Harry was almost too shocked to answer. When Samantha asked again, Harry nodded, a smile spreading across his face. But when she asked him to try and wiggle his toe, Harry's smile vanished when he couldn't do it.

"One thing at a time, Harry," Nicki assured him, seeing the crestfallen look on Harry's face.

"She's right," Samantha agreed. "You've come a long way today. It'll take time, Harry."

Covering the trach tube so he could talk, Harry whispered, "What happens now?"

"You'll stay here another few days," Nicki replied. "Since you don't need the trach tube, we should be able to remove it with minimal problems. Then you'll start a new physical therapy regimen to build your upper body strength." When she noticed that Harry still looked dejected, she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "This doesn't mean that you'll never be able to walk, Harry. Sometimes it just takes a while to recover."

While Samantha and the other healer helped finish up with Harry, Nicki went out to the waiting room and found Petunia. "Mrs. Evans?"

Petunia stood quickly and looked hopeful as she asked, "How are Harry and Veronica?"

"Veronica will probably be able to go home tomorrow," Nicki replied. "Limb regrowth usually takes 12-24 hours, depending." Brightening, she added, "Harry will be here for another 3-4 days, but he's breathing on his own now and he's regained full sensation."

"That's wonderful," Petunia said, happily.

Nicki held up a hand as she said, "There is a slight downside. Harry still can't move his legs. But Harry's been paralyzed for how long?"

"5 years," Petunia replied. "So Harry might still be able to walk?"

Nicki gestured to the chairs and she and Petunia sat down. "Right now, there are three possible outcomes for Harry. One, he never regains motor function in his legs. Two, Harry regains full use of his legs but because Harry's been paralyzed for so long, even if he is able to move his legs, it could be a couple years before he's able to walk on his own. Or three, he only regains some use of his lower body. "

Petunia considered that and after a few moments, she said, "If Harry still can't move his legs he'll still be in the wheelchair, right?"

"Right," Nicki replied with a nod. "But the electric wheelchair Harry has been using won't work at Hogwarts. High levels of magic short out muggle electrical devices so Harry will have to use a normal wheelchair equipped with levitation charms so he can get up and down the staircases at Hogwarts."

Nodding, Petunia had another question. "If Harry does partially regain motor function, what then?"

Nicki shrugged. "Harry would most likely have to use crutches, possibly leg braces as well." Putting a hand on Petunia's arm, she added, "This is good news, Petunia. Harry's doing a lot better and with a little luck, he'll have a shot at having a real life."

"What about Veronica?" Petunia asked.

Nicki took a breath and replied, "It's sometimes harder to regrow a limb if there's been significant time passed from the time it was severed. But there's been some advancement so the healers should be able to completely regrow Veronica's arm."

xxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Veronica woke in her bed at the Rowena Medical Center and as she sat up, she paused mid-stretch, staring at her left arm. It felt strange and her fingers felt stiff, but her arm was whole and there was no trace of the deformity she'd been born with. Slowly, she made a fist, flexing her fingers and slowly rotating her wrist. Even before the amputation she hadn't been able to bend her wrist due to the joint being completely fused. She'd also had only 5 inches between her wrist and elbow and due to multiple surgeries, her elbow had been kept at a permanent right angle.

But now her arm was normal. She almost couldn't believe it, but it was true—although she did pinch her left arm hard with her right hand, just to be sure.


End file.
